]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/06/19/columbus-launches-energy-saving-program/feed/0coal,columbus,downtown columbus,emissions standards,energy,epa,Michael Coleman,power plantsThe new program hopes to cut energy usage in commercial buildings by as much as 20 percent, with an extra emphasis on downtown buildings.The new program hopes to cut energy usage in commercial buildings by as much as 20 percent, with an extra emphasis on downtown buildings.WOSU Newsno2:42Ohio Bill Curbing Carbon-Rule Impact Advanceshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/06/02/ohio-bill-limit-impact-new-epa-carbon-limits-tb/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/06/02/ohio-bill-limit-impact-new-epa-carbon-limits-tb/#commentsMon, 02 Jun 2014 16:17:03 +0000The Associated Presshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=71605

Ohio lawmakers are expected to take swift action on legislation intended to limit the impact of federal plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 30 percent by 2030.

An Ohio House committee has approved a bill intended to limit the state impact of a newly announced federal plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants 30 percent by 2030.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the rule Monday, part of President Barack Obama’s goal of reducing pollution linked to global warming.

The federal action would give states years to submit plans to cut power plant pollution.

Ohio’s bill would require any such plan coming from the state to protect electric affordability and reliability and to minimize harm to industrial, commercial and residential consumers. The panel’s approval sends it to the House floor.

Some states that rely heavily on coal have objected to the federal effort. Ohio gets 70 percent of its electricity from coal.

The Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohio -- known for catching fire in the 1960s -- relies on frequent dredging to keep the shipping channels open. Now a controversial new proposal to dump the dredged material into Lake Erie has residents worried about contamination of the public water supply.

In order to maintain open navigation channels for ships, sediment buildup in waterways has to be scooped out periodically through a process known as dredging.

In the Great Lakes states, 60 commercial ports rely on this practice. When dredged material is contaminated, it raises questions about how to dispose of it safely.

The Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohioâ€”known for catching fire in the 1960sâ€”relies on frequent dredging. The standard practice has been to put the river muck in confined disposal facilities (CDFs). But now thereâ€™s a controversial new proposal on the table to dump the dredged material into Lake Erie, a source of drinking water for more than 11 million people.

Every year nearly 13 million tons of iron ore, limestone, cement, and salt are hauled into the Port of Cleveland and unloaded. This commerce supports more than 17,000 jobs, all of which depend on the shipping channel remaining clear.

Sediment naturally flows downstream with the current, and when it does it clogs things up. To keep the channel open, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes enough sediment each year to fill a stadium (approximately 250,000 cubic yards).

â€œThe question is then what to do with the spoils, what to do with what you dredge up from the bottom. So weâ€™ve constantly got this, not â€˜Whereâ€™s Waldo?â€™ but â€˜Where to Put Waldo?â€™â€ said Eric Fitch, an environmental science professor at Marietta College.

Traditionally, itâ€™s been put in confined disposal facilities near the Erie shore. Now the Army Corps, the agency charged with maintaining the nationâ€™s navigation channels, wants to dump it into the open lake instead. Fitch said this might be a reasonable plan, though heâ€™d like to see some pilot testing first.

Other Great Lakes harbors already submerge their dredged material in fresh water. As much as 50 percent of dredged Great Lakes sediment is placed in the open lake, once it is determined to be largely free of contaminants. Some states, including Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, have attempted to ban the practice due to concerns about lingering sediment contamination.

â€œWe have no idea at this point how it will contaminate the water process [or] what weâ€™ll have to do to add additional chemicals and treatments,â€ said Cleveland council member Michael Polensek at a recent public hearing held by the Ohio EPA.

Long-time resident George Havens also testified at the meeting. â€œIâ€™ve been living in Cleveland for 89 years and drinking this water. Iâ€™d like to continue to drink it a little bit longer. Dumping anything into the lake is unscientific, unimaginative, uncivilized, and barbaric,â€ he said.

The Great Lakes basin has a long history of industrial pollution, and some of those pollutants, like PCBs, PAHs, heavy metals, DDT, and its metabolite DDE, persist in the buried sediment.

Current urban and agricultural runoff also contributes to the problem. The Army Corps says according to their tests on the Cuyahoga River, the sediment in the proposed dredging location is not as contaminated as it used to be.

But they have faced pushback not only from citizens and NGOs but also from the Ohio EPA.

â€œAt the end of the day they need to meet the Ohio EPA water quality standards,â€ said
Ohio EPA Northeast Office District Chief Kurt Princic, â€œand we donâ€™t feel thatâ€™s being met.â€

The Ohio EPA has to sign off on the Army Corps proposal before it can move forward. Princic says theyâ€™re concerned because the dredged material would be dumped close to the cityâ€™s drinking water intake valves. Fish toxicity is another concern. They also question the methods by which the Army Corps arrived at their conclusion that the sediment is safe enough to put in the lake.

Mike Asquith, dredging program manager for the Army Corpsâ€™s Buffalo District, said the sampling methods employed were appropriate for the situation. â€œAll the material there is recent and storm-derived. Itâ€™s not a situation where you have legacy contamination over years of material being placed there,â€ he said.

University of Akron geoscientist John Peck reviewed the Corpsâ€™s methodology, and is still on the fence about whether this is a good idea or not.

One outstanding question for him was why didnâ€™t they take samples from deeper down, where they would be dredging? â€œI just wonder, because youâ€™ll vary the floods, youâ€™ll vary the type of sediment, youâ€™ll vary the contaminants, maybe one should just take a sediment core,â€ Peck said.

Concerns like this have environmental groups calling for the Ohio EPA to put the brakes on the plan and allow for further review of the science and a discussion of other disposal options.

While the Army Corps is required to deal with the material in the least expensive environmentally acceptable manner, there are other options for it. It could be stored more efficiently at the current confined disposal sites and eke out, by some estimates, another 20 years of storage. Or it could be remediated and put to beneficial use.

For instance, Green Bay, Wisconsin, uses dredged material to reconstruct a series of barrier islands, creating habitat for pelicans, cormorants, and other species. Grand Haven, Michigan, mixes their dredged material with composted municipal yard waste to create topsoil. Chicago has also experimented with reuse with their â€œMud to Parksâ€ project. At the Port of Duluth-Superior in Minnesota and Wisconsin, dredged material replaces fill dirt on construction sites, and itâ€™s also used in asphalt production. And even Cleveland has a history of putting it to beneficial use: Dike 14 Nature Preserve is made up of material dredged from the Cuyahoga in the past.

A decision is expected from Ohio EPA by the end of March as to whether material from the Cuyahoga River will be allowed in Lake Erie. Rejecting this proposal would send the Army Corps of Engineers back to the drawing board to find another place to put this seasonâ€™s cache of muck.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/03/25/lake-erie-proposals-dredges-up-controversy/feed/1Cuyahoga River,epa,lake erie,northeast Ohio,ohio,pollution,waterThe Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohio -- known for catching fire in the 1960s -- relies on frequent dredging to keep the shipping channels open. Now a controversial new proposal to dump the dredged material into Lake Erie has residents worried about co...The Cuyahoga River in northeast Ohio -- known for catching fire in the 1960s -- relies on frequent dredging to keep the shipping channels open. Now a controversial new proposal to dump the dredged material into Lake Erie has residents worried about contamination of the public water supply.WOSU Newsno4:16Environmentalists Ask For Answers In EPA Resignationhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/21/environmentalists-ask-for-answers-in-epa-resignation/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/21/environmentalists-ask-for-answers-in-epa-resignation/#commentsWed, 21 Aug 2013 11:31:08 +0000Andy Chowhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=56785

Some environmental group are asking the Ohio EPA to weigh in on accusations that a top manager resigned because of pressure from the coal industry.

When George Elmaraghy, chief of the EPAâ€™s Division of Surface Water, sent a mass email to his staff Monday morning, he said he was asked to resign by the governorâ€™s office and the director of the agency.

He says the move was made after considerable pressure from the coal industry.

The Division of Surface Water executes permits ensuring that the state is following the federal Clean Water Act.

While the agency will not talk about Elmaraghyâ€™s resignation, which takes effect next month, it does stand by its permitting process saying that their permits are evaluated by several third-parties, including the federal EPA.

A spokesperson for the agency says the permits are submitted based on the law, no matter whoâ€™s making the decision.

Zane Daniels is the president of the Ohio Coal Association; he says his association does not impact or play any role in personnel decisions at the EPA.

But some environmental advocates believe the coal industry does have a strong influence on the agency.

Trent Dougherty, staff attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council, dealt with Elmaraghy on different issues. He says he always thought the chief was fair in his decisions.

â€œIâ€™ve only known the chief to follow the law and if the EPA is saying that everyone in that position has to follow the law then why is he being forced to leave and I think thatâ€™s a question that can only be answered by the govenrorâ€™s office and the director of EPA,” Dougherty said.

Last week an Ohio House panel held a hearing in Belmont County to talk about energy generation. There to deliver testimony was Bob Murray, president of Murray Energy Corporation, which touts itself as the largest privately-owned coal company in America.

Murray told the committee that President Barack Obama and policies by the U.S. EPA were causing â€œcatastrophic economic destruction.â€

Murray never specifically addressed state EPA policies in his written testimony but Jed Thorp, manager of the Sierra Clubâ€™s Ohio Chapter, says the timing of Murrayâ€™s testimony and Elmaraghyâ€™s resignation might not be a coincidence.

â€œTo me itâ€™s not real surprising that not even a week after that that youâ€™re seeing heads roll at the agency.â€

Murray Corporation Spokesperson Gary Broadbent says the company had nothing to do with the resignation of Elmaraghy.

Both the Ohio Environmental Council and the Sierra Club say Elmaraghyâ€™s departure is a step in the wrong direction as far as protecting Ohioâ€™s streams and wetlands.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/08/21/environmentalists-ask-for-answers-in-epa-resignation/feed/0epa,George Elmaraghy,ohio environmental council,Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,Ohio EPA,Ohio Sierra Club,Sierra ClubSome environmental group are asking the Ohio EPA to weigh in on accusations that a top manager resigned because of pressure from the coal industry.Some environmental group are asking the Ohio EPA to weigh in on accusations that a top manager resigned because of pressure from the coal industry.WOSU Newsno2:42Portman, Brown Defend Votes On EPA Standardshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/06/21/portman-brown-defend-votes-on-epa-standards/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/06/21/portman-brown-defend-votes-on-epa-standards/#commentsThu, 21 Jun 2012 16:19:56 +0000Steve Brownhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=30675

Rep. U.S. Senator Rob Portman is defending his vote in support of a failed challenge to the new EPA standards. Dem. Sherrod Brown called the vote to uphold the standards a victory for clean air.

Both of Ohioâ€™s U.S. Senators are defending their votes on a recent challenge to new federal clear air standards.

A resolution in the Senate looked to reverse new standards from the Environmental Protection Agency meant to limit heavy metals like mercury and arsenic. It failed by a vote of 53-47 mainly along party lines.

Republican Rob Portman voted for the measure, saying it will choke Ohio industry. He points to a power plant in Avon Lake scheduled to close in 2015.

â€œAnd this will cost the school system 11 percent of its budget annually. It will obviously cost some jobs. There are 80 jobs at the plant that are relatively high-paid, good jobs in Ohio. And then a lot of indirect jobs lost in the community.â€

Most Democratcs, including Ohioâ€™s senior U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, called the vote a victory for health and clear air.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/06/21/portman-brown-defend-votes-on-epa-standards/feed/0clear air standards,environmental protection agency,epa,Rob Portman,senate,sherrod brwonRep. U.S. Senator Rob Portman is defending his vote in support of a failed challenge to the new EPA standards. Dem. Sherrod Brown called the vote to uphold the standards a victory for clean air.Rep. U.S. Senator Rob Portman is defending his vote in support of a failed challenge to the new EPA standards. Dem. Sherrod Brown called the vote to uphold the standards a victory for clean air.WOSU Newsno46EPA To Release Initial Results On Fracking Studyhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/03/05/epa-to-release-initial-results-on-fracking-study/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/03/05/epa-to-release-initial-results-on-fracking-study/#commentsMon, 05 Mar 2012 14:18:16 +0000The Associated Presshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=24293Environmental regulators are set to outline initial study results on the water supply for the town at the center of the "Gasland" documentary.

]]>In what could be a pivotal moment in the debate over the natural gas drilling technique known as fracking, the federal EPA is set to outline initial study results on whether gas drilling affected the water supply of one now-famous Pennsylvania town.

Dimock, Pennsylvania was the center of the award-winning documentary “Gasland.” Many residents have banded together for a lawsuit, claiming fracking by Cabot Oil and Gas contaminated their wells with methane gas so badly that their water can now be set on fire.

Some other residents of Dimock say the claims have been overblown to help the lawsuit.

Ohio environmental groups are applauding the first federal limits on how much mercury coal-burning power plants can release into the environment.

But utilities say the standards will drive up electric bills and cost hundreds of jobs.

The latest rules cast another light on the tough balance of the environment and economics in crafting utility policy.

Under the new federal benchmarks, utilities will have three years to cut 90 percent of the mercury emitted from power plants, and trim emissions of several other pollutants.

Environmental and public health groups are praising the first federal limits on mercury.

â€œMercury is a neurotoxin, which means it can cause developmental disorders. Thatâ€™s especially harmful to children,” says Julian Boggs, a policy advocate with the group Environment Ohio.

For Columbus-based American Electric Power, the new standards will meanâ€¦

“…a net loss of about 600 jobs.”

AEP spokeswoman Melissa McHenry says thatâ€™s because installing pollution control systems at many aging coal-burning power plants doesnâ€™t make economic sense, so theyâ€™ll have to close part or all of at least five plants, including the Picway Power Plant just south of Columbus.

Of the 600 job cuts, McHenry says 150 will come in Ohio.

She says working with a reduced infrastructure and installing pollution controls on plants that stay open will drive up customer electric bills by an average of 10 percent. And, she says, AEP and other utilities have concerns about possible electric shortages.

“Thereâ€™s a significant portion of coal-fired power plants across the U.S. that will not continue to operate, and if the economy improves and we get back to electricity demands levels that we were in in 2008, we could have a serious problem with the ability to continue to provide adequate amounts of electricity.”

Maybe less electricity, but public health advocates say itâ€™ll also mean fewer heart attacks and asthma attacks. And they say short-term expenses for utilities will be off-set with long-term savings on medical costs and job gains in other sectors.

“These are dirty power plants that are contributing to negative health impacts for the citizens in that community,” says Tracy Sabetta with the National Wildlife Federation.

“But itâ€™s not the end of something, itâ€™s the beginning of something. Ohio is poised to move forward into a clear energy future.”

Utilities have to be in compliance with the new EPA standards by December of 2014.

Click here for Tom Borgerding’s report on how a small eastern Ohio town keeps close watch on the coal pollution dispute.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/12/22/advocates-utility-companies-split-over-epa-standards/feed/0aep,coal plants,conesville,epaEnvironmental and public health advocates are praising the new emissions standards as a victory. Utilities say they'll cost jobs and money, and could lead to electric shortages.Environmental and public health advocates are praising the new emissions standards as a victory. Utilities say they'll cost jobs and money, and could lead to electric shortages.WOSU Newsno1:45Ohio Dems. Want To Halt “Fracking”http://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/09/07/ohio-dems-want-to-hault-fracking/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/09/07/ohio-dems-want-to-hault-fracking/#commentsWed, 07 Sep 2011 10:19:51 +0000The Associated Presshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=14343

The moratorium would give the EPA more time to study possible environmental impacts.

Ohio is the latest state where opponents are pushing a ban on a controversial form of drilling that injects chemicals into shale to release natural gas.

Democratic state Senator Michael Skindell has introduced a bill calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to await results of a U.S. EPA study of potential environmental hazards. Ohio would join New York and New Jersey among states above the fuel rich Marcellus shale if it imposes the ban.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce has commissioned a separate study on the potential economic benefits of gas drilling.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/09/07/ohio-dems-want-to-hault-fracking/feed/0Proposed Tunnel System Would Reduce Columbus Water Pollutionhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/11/15/proposed-tunnel-system-would-reduce-columbus-water-pollution/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/11/15/proposed-tunnel-system-would-reduce-columbus-water-pollution/#commentsThu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/11/15/proposed-tunnel-system-would-reduce-columbus-water-pollution/Under pressure from the Ohio EPA, the City of Columbus is planning to build a tunnel system to handle surges in storm water runoff.

]]>Under pressure from the Ohio EPA, the City of Columbus is planning to build a tunnel system to handle surges in storm water runoff. At present, during heavy rainfall, polluted water empties into the Scioto River untreated. The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin in 2010. The first of several tunnels would be 5.4 miles long. A boring machine would dig underground from downtown to the Jackson Pike Water Treatment Plant. Rick Tilton is a spokesman for the city’s public works department.

“This line will go from the Arena District along the east side of the Scioto, will not go under any buildings, will pass under the Scioto River 150 feet down,” Tilton says. “Then go down to Jackson Pike.”

The system would help store polluted surface water until rainfall subsides and the city’s treatment facilities can catch up.

“You have a lot of bacteria getting into the river,” says Tilton. “This was accepted practices years ago when the sewer system was built.”

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is getting tough on hundreds of cities that have what are called “combined sewer overflows.” The city of Milwaukee has been working to meet compliance standards for more than ten years. Rather than dig trenches from the surface, which disrupts traffic, the tunnels were bored using massive machines. It’s been controversial, says the Milwaukee Sewer District’s Bill Graffin, because tax payers paid part of the billion dollar bill. But he says it’s done a lot to keep water cleaner.

Milwaukee’s tunnels were funded in part by federal money which is no longer available. In Ohio, The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, which is building a storage tunnel in the Cleveland area, has had $28 million in cost overruns. Unless Congress sets aside money in a clean water trust fund, Milwaukee’s Bill Graffin says local taxpayers will have to foot the bill themselves.

By today’s projections, the first phase of the Columbus project is slated at $231 million. Construction of other tunnels along the Olentangy River and Alum Creek will begin in 2014 and 2025.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/11/15/proposed-tunnel-system-would-reduce-columbus-water-pollution/feed/0combined,epa,runoff,sewer,storm,waterUnder pressure from the Ohio EPA, the City of Columbus is planning to build a tunnel system to handle surges in storm water runoff.Under pressure from the Ohio EPA, the City of Columbus is planning to build a tunnel system to handle surges in storm water runoff.WOSU Newsno2:26Listen to Extended Interview with AEP Officialhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/10/09/listen-to-extended-interview-with-aep-official/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/10/09/listen-to-extended-interview-with-aep-official/#commentsTue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000Tom Borgerdinghttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/10/09/listen-to-extended-interview-with-aep-official/